Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), highlighted the capability of young people to change the world for the better in various ways. In a statement to mark International Youth Day 2025, Her Highness said it was vital that the youth were accorded the necessary encouragement to make a tangible impact in their respective communities and the world at large.

Her Highness emphasised that there is something inherently unique about the way young people move through the world, stirring a curiosity about what might be achieved, reminding one and all of their own first encounters with possibility. The youth, Her Highness said, may not always announce their impact, yet it happens in quiet but powerful ways, by challenging a habit, reimagining a process, or offering an idea no one thought to consider. Through their creativity, effortless ease as communicators, and spirit of collaboration, the youth are redefining progress, making it more inclusive, inventive, and responsive to the challenges the world faces, she said.

The theme of this year’s International Youth Day, ‘Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,’ reflects what is already unfolding in the UAE and beyond, Her Highness said.“Young people engage with this world in a distinctive way. I am captivated by the passion I see in their eyes, and by the curiosity and love of exploration that characterises them. The difference they make is reflected in their unique ideas, bold new visions, and their ability to challenge the norm,” Her Highness added.

Sheikha Latifa added that, across the UAE, young people are transforming global challenges into local opportunities, weaving hope into policy and progress into the fabric of daily life. Whether it’s a student-led climate solution, a neighbourhood coding programme, or a grassroots art initiative, these offer proof that innovation, when grounded in empathy, can transform entire systems from the ground up, she pointed out.

She recalled how His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who had placed unwavering belief in her own innate potential just as she saw the promise in the youth of the UAE, once said: “Our value in life is defined by what we do.” On International Youth Day, she said she saw that same spirit reflected in the young people of the UAE, in their courage to act, their creativity to imagine, and their determination to build a better future, urging one and all to listen to them, invest in them, and walk alongside them, knowing that when the youth lead, the world will surely move forward.